London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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City of London 1921

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]

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70
No case of infectious disease was reported in connection with premises occupied
by outworkers in the City Four contacts with Scarlet Fever were reported The
necessary enquiries were made and suitable precautions taken

The following figures show the number of Outworkers notified since 1902:—

YearNumber of Lists receivedOutworkers Employed in CitvOutworkers Employed outside CityTotal number of Outworkers
19021737523769
(Note—First Notice issued to all employers at the end of 1904)
19055762367,8918,127
19081,50662416,90917,533
19111,51565616,40517,061
19121,48170915,77716,486
19131,52371816,02516,743
19141,58173915,94116,680
19151,58980715,44416,251
19161,48166114,76615,427
19171,36660213,31913,921
19181,39560712,80213,409
19191,37968812,58113,269
19201,35980213,10213,904
19211,41171711,03511,752

NOTE ON THE USE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCES WHERE THERE
IS AN ABSENCE OF SUFFICIENT OR SEPARATE W C
ACCOMMODATION IN BUSINESS PREMISES
The problems of public health are so closely related to those of personal well
being that the full strength of public opinion endorses the requirement of law which
enforces the provision of separate and suitable sanitary conveniences for the sexes
in premises where business is carried on
In the City of London an enactment requiring the observance of this principle
has been in operation since 1848 The result is that few commercial buildings are
found to be without the conveniences necessitated by the employment of both
sexes
In plans of new buildings the proposed number of tenancies together with the
probable numbers of each sex likely to be employed receive careful consideration
and consequently difficulties of this nature seldom arise afterwards In older
buildings and adapted dwelling houses extra sanitary accommodation to that
originally provided has been frequently added during structural additions and
alterations which have been executed from time to time
The peculiar conditions imposed by the war and the resulting abnormal increase
in the number of women workers have caused temporary difficulties but
these are being gradually eliminated Other problems however have arisen to
some extent which do not seem to be easy of solution The chief of these is due to
the present economic necessity which has delayed the demolition and rebuilding
of leaseexpired premises and which requires the fullest use being made of all
available buildings whilst at the same time restricting expenditure to an absolute
minimum
Separate floors or rooms are let (perhaps temporarily) resulting in complications
as to the use or apportionment of waterclosets These are accentuated if
the new tenants employ persons of both sexes instead of one as under the former
occupation or when the premises in question formed part of a larger tenancy
The ideal arrangement is for every separate occupation to have conveniences
exclusively for the use of the staffs employed therein This is however a counsel
of perfection and unattainable under present conditions Where conveniences are
situated on landings or staircases adjustments can be made between tenants But
when some are located within one particular set of premises—separately occupied
—difficulties of several kinds immediately present themselves though where
possible one occupier in a building will generally give accommodation to another
occupier by arrangement especially in the case of a small subtenancy There is
however a great dislike to this practice both on the part of employers and their
staffs It is not always desirable or convenient either to give or to accept free access
to other premises at all times and moreover the hours of business may not always
coincide